There has only been one X Factor USA show and already the competition is changing the life of one of its most hotly tipped contestants, Chris Rene.

You may remember that I pointed out Chris as one of the contestants to look out for, but even I had no idea quite how quickly appearing on the talent show would take off and change his life.

The former drug addict has spent much of his life in and out of trouble, and he admitted to only having been clean for a few weeks when he auditioned for the show. But now his life looks a whole lot better as a result of his TV appearance.

Chris has become a YouTube sensation and his long-lost son has learned that the X Factor contestant is his biological father.

When Chris performed for the judges and told them he had been clean and sober for 70 days after leaving rehab, the serious singing talent made it through to the second round of The X Factor.

But it seems that the audition was just the start of Chris’ life changing experience. He took to Facebook to announce that his six-year-old son now knows Chris is his father. He had a relationship with the boy, who lives with foster parents. But until now, Chris has only been known to the boy, named Elijah, as a close family friend.

Chris didn’t even know he had a son until Elijah was two. Since then, contact with him has been allowed, and now the boy has been told the real identity of his father. No doubt he will also now be joining in with Chris Rene’s other son, aged three, enjoying the success of his father on The X Factor and on YouTube.

Chris Rene’s X Factor audition got 1.7 million hits on YouTube in just three days.

Chris wrote of his feelings at finally being acknowledged as Elijah’s father: “I am so happy I can’t express my joy with words!!! I feel a new song coming though. So Blessed.”